---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 6771"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "6771"
heading: "Prohibition"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/6771"
units:
  - "Chapter 75 — Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation"
  - "Subchapter V — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §6771. Prohibition

- (a) **In general—** Neither the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) of Defense nor any other officer or employee of the [United States](/usc/22/6701.md?p=14) may, directly or by contract—
  - (1) conduct any test or experiment involving the use of any chemical or biological agent on a civilian population; or
  - (2) use human subjects for the testing of chemical or biological agents.
- (b) **Construction—** Nothing in [subsection (a)](#a) may be construed to prohibit actions carried out for [purposes not prohibited by this chapter](/usc/22/6701.md?p=8) (as defined in [section 6701(8) of this title](/usc/22/6701.md?p=8)).
- (c) **“Biological agent” defined—** In this section, the term “biological agent” means any micro-organism (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, rickettsiae or protozoa), pathogen, or infectious substance, or any naturally occurring, bio-engineered or synthesized component of any such micro-organism, pathogen, or infectious substance, whatever its origin or method of production, capable of causing—
  - (1) death, disease, or other biological malfunction in a human, an animal, a [plant](/usc/22/6721.md?p=a), or another living organism;
  - (2) deterioration of food, water, equipment, supplies, or materials of any kind; or
  - (3) deleterious alteration of the environment.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–277, div. I, title VI, § 602, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–886.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act” and was translated as reading “this division”, meaning div. I of Pub. L. 105–277, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–856, known as the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act of 1998, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. For complete classification of division I to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6701 of this title and Tables.